Method for tracking procedures performed on personal protection equipment and actions of individuals

ABSTRACT

A method for tracking procedures performed on personal protection equipment (PPE) and actions of individuals includes the following steps. An article of PPE configured with a smart tag is provided to an individual prior to performance of a task. After the individual performs the task, the article of PPE is processed. Information is retrieved from the smart tag during at least one of: before, during and after processing the article of PPE. After the performance of the task, the individual&#39;s data is read and the individual enters into a designated area.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/069,141, filed Mar. 14, 2016, now pending, which is a continuation ofU.S. application Ser. No. 12/600,106, filed Sep. 2, 2010, now pending,which is a of national stage filing under 35 U.S.C. §371 ofPCT/US2008/063695, filed May 15, 2008, which claims priority to U.S.Application Ser. No. 61/066,127, filed May 18, 2007, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference in its/their entirety herein.

BACKGROUND

Generally, this disclosure relates to methods for tracking proceduresperformed on personal protection equipment (PPE) as well as trackingactions of individuals, particularly, using smart tags and individuals'biometrics.

Maintaining the safety and health of workers is has become a majorconcern across many industries. Various rules and regulations have beendeveloped to aid in addressing this concern, which provide sets ofrequirements to ensure proper administration of personnel health andsafety procedures. To help in maintaining worker safety and health, someindividuals may be required to don, wear, carry, or otherwise use PPE,if the individuals enter or remain in work environments that havehazardous or potentially hazardous conditions. Known types of PPEinclude, without limitation, respiratory protection equipment (RPE),e.g., for normal condition use or emergency response, protectiveeyewear, such as visors, goggles, filters or shields, protectiveheadwear, such as hard hats, hoods or helmets, hearing protection,protective shoes, protective gloves, other protective clothing, such ascoveralls and aprons, protective articles, such as sensors, safetytools, detectors, global positioning devices, mining cap lamps and anyother suitable gear.

For example, personnel working in mines, oil refineries, metal grindingfacilities, industrial painting operations or pharmaceutical factoriesmay be required to wear RPE. On the other hand, personnel in the nuclearindustry may be required to wear radiation protective clothing andpersonal dosimetry devices. Law enforcement personnel are sometimesrequired to wear protective vests and helmets. There are numeroussituations in the medical field in which healthcare workers must wearprotective gowns, masks, face shields, gloves, etc. Workers in the foodservice industry are often required to wear hair netting, gloves, masks,etc. There are also many industrial manufacturing scenarios in whichpersonnel are required to wear protective or other specially designedarticles in order to ensure a “clean” environment. For example,personnel in the micro-electronics manufacturing industry, biotechindustry, laboratory/testing industry, are required to wear PPE not onlyto ensure their own safety, but to protect the equipment and deviceswhich they assemble or perform various procedures with. Another means ofaiding prevention of professional diseases is for individuals to takeactive part in the prevention, for example by taking showers.

Facilities in which workers wear PPE are often required to keep detailedrecords regarding the PPE as well as the individuals wearing the PPE.Some such records include information regarding use of PPE, maintenanceand condition of PPE, and training of the workers. In addition, recordsof certain mandatory regulations and compulsory audit histories must bekept for a certain period of time. For example, RPE require maintenanceto be carried out by properly trained personnel. The making and keepingof extensive records that contain all of the above-referencedinformation present a substantial administrative task.

Known uses of RFID tags include ensuring that the personnel is properlyoutfitted with all necessary safety equipment for the performance ofparticular procedures that could expose them to health hazards. RadioFrequency Identification Devices (RFIDs) are low-cost “smart” chips or“tags” that can be embedded in or attached to articles, products, andthe like, to convey information about the product via informationretrieved by a scanner. The smart tags are typically provided in theform of small labels or the like with a miniature embedded antenna. Thetags may be passive or active, the active tags requiring an internalpower supply. A reader or scanner interrogates the smart tag with anelectronic “trigger” signal. The tag in turn generates anelectromagnetic pulses response that is readable by the scanner, theresponse containing the product or equipment information. Nonetheless,there still is a need for electronic systems that could make theimplementation of compliance-monitoring systems easier and moreefficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to amethod for tracking procedures performed on PPE and actions ofindividuals including the steps of providing an article of PPEconfigured with a smart tag to an individual prior to performance of atask and processing the article of PPE after the individual performs thetask. The exemplary method also includes retrieving information from thesmart tag during at least one of: before, during and after processingthe article of PPE. The method further includes reading the individual'sdata after performance of the task and the individual's entry into adesignated area after performance of the task.

In another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to amethod for tracking procedures performed on articles of PPE and actionsof individuals including the steps of providing an article of PPEconfigured with a first smart tag to a first individual prior toperformance of a first task; retrieving first information from the firstsmart tag after the first individual performs the first task; andprocessing the article of PPE in a first cycle after the firstindividual performs the first task. The exemplary method also includesreading first individual's data after performance of the first task andfirst individual's entry into a designated area after performance of thefirst task. The exemplary method further includes providing a secondarticle of PPE configured with a second smart tag to a second individualprior to performance of a second task; retrieving second informationfrom the second smart tag after the second individual performs thesecond task; and processing the second article of PPE in a second cycleafter the second individual performs the second task. In addition, theexemplary method includes reading a second individual's data afterperformance of the second task and the second individual's entry to adesignated area after performance of the second task.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure is directedto a method for tracking procedures performed on PPE and actions ofindividuals including the steps of providing an article of PPEconfigured with a smart tag to an individual prior to performance of atask; processing the article of PPE after the individual performs thetask; and retrieving information from the smart tag during at least oneof: before, during and after processing the article of PPE. Theexemplary method also includes reading individual's data afterperformance of the task; and individual's entry into a designated areaafter performance of the task; and reading an individual's data at theexit of the designated area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that those having ordinary skill in the art to which the subjectinvention pertains will more readily understand how to make and use thesubject invention, exemplary embodiments thereof will be described indetail below with reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a first portion of a flow chart illustrating schematically anexemplary method according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is a second portion of a flow chart illustrating schematicallyan exemplary method according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating schematically another exemplarymethod according to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating schematically a portion of anexemplary method according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides an attractive solution for tracking theprocessing of PPE as well as actions performed by individuals. Exemplaryprocedures include status checks (such as reflectivity check onreflective clothing), inventory reconciliation, servicing, calibration(such as sensor calibration), maintenance, repair, replacement,treatment, and/or other useful, required or desirable procedures. Oneparticular type of PPE treatment may include one or more of: removingdust by applying pressurized air, washing, cleaning, decontamination andsterilization.

Actions performed by individuals, for example, to maintain their safetyand health, include, without limitation, remedial actions, such astaking showers, washing hands or changing clothing, and preventativeactions, such as applying antibacterial agents, participating in medicalexaminations, physiological data reading, such as pulse, blood pressure,heart rate or temperature reading. In typical embodiments of the presentdisclosure, an individual takes any one or more of such actions in adesignated area. The designated area may be an enclosed area, such as aseparate room, or it may be an open area. In some exemplary embodiments,the designated area may be mobile, such as a van or a cart.

Exemplary methods according to the present disclosure anticipate thatthe carrying on and tracking of such procedures and individuals' actionsmust be coordinated with the tasks performed by the individuals inpossession of the PPE, especially if the processing of an article of PPEand/or an action must be performed after each use of the PPE inperformance of a task. In addition, it may be advantageous that thetracking be interwoven with the procedures and the tasks, so as not tounduly interfere with the day-to day operations of the business.

In typical embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more articlesof PPE (and more typically a multitude of articles of PPE) are collectedfrom one or more individuals (and more typically a multitude ofindividuals) for processing, which may include any one or moreprocedures mentioned above. Such procedures may be performedsequentially, cumulatively or simultaneously. After performance ofprocedure, the one or more articles of PPE can be provided to one ormore individuals.

Configuring an article of PPE with a smart tag facilitates tracking theprocessing of PPE. Various types of smart tags are known in the art.Examples of smart tags that may be used in exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure include, but are not limited to, transponders ortransceivers, which transmit a pulse of information in response to anexcitation signal, and real time location systems (RTLS), which transmitdata to a receiver or portal located by the tag. Suitable transpondersor transceivers include RFID tags, such as read-only or re-writable RFIDtags. RFID technology is known and understood by those skilled in theart.

The smart tags may be active or passive. Generally, passive smart tagsinclude a coiled, etched, or stamped antenna, a capacitor, and asubstrate on which the components are mounted or embedded. For somemetallic smart tags, the metallic portion itself can serve as theantenna. The excitation signal from a scanner is received by the antennato “activate” the smart tag. In the case of passive smart tags, thereceived excitation signal is the power source for the smart tag andresults in the generation of an electromagnetic pulse containinginformation signal. One exemplary type of a suitable passive tag is abarcode tag. Active smart tags include active transceiving circuitrythat has the capability to selectively respond to coded request signalsissued by a scanner. A smart tag may include the capability to receiveand store additional information beyond the information contained in itsfixed code. An active smart tag usually requires an internal powersupply, such as a micro-battery, thin film battery, or the like.

In case of RTLS, the smart tag operates differently depending on thesystem. Typically, an RTLS smart tag is an active tag having atransmitter and a receiver and it communicates with a network accordingto a particular protocol. RTLS systems can work to determine theposition of the smart tag in 2-dimentional or 3-dimentional space. Theposition of the tag may be calculated either at the tag or by a remoteprocessing system. One example of a smart tag suitable for use in RTLSis an Ekahau™ smart tag, which communicates with a wireless IEEE 802.11a(Wi-Fi) network through standard protocols. Other examples of suitablesmart tags are provided, without limitation, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,853,303,incorporated by reference herein.

In accordance with the methods of the present disclosure, smart tags maybe permanently attached to an article of PPE or to an accessory of anarticle of PPE, such as by being adhered, fastened, sewn, frictionfitted, mechanically clipped, welded (e.g., ultrasonically) or moldedonto or into the article, included as an integral component of thearticle, or securely attached by any other suitable means. Exemplary PPEaccessories include, without limitation, a nose piece, a face piece, ahood, a helmet, a motor, a hose, a filter, a cartridge, hearingprotection such as earmuffs or earplugs, an automatic darkening filter(ADF) of a welding helmet, a visor, power supply, a lighting mechanismsuch as a mining cap lamp, etc. In other exemplary embodiments, smarttags may be removably attached to an article of PPE or to an accessoryof an article of PPE using hook and loop mechanical systems,repositionable adhesives, clips, slots, etc. Exemplary embodiments wherethe smart tag may be removed from an article of PPE, for example,together with an accessory of the PPE, are advantageous where the smarttag may be damaged by a procedure performed on PPE. Such potentiallyharmful procedures are typically those involving high temperatures,harsh chemicals such as acids or bases, corrosive gases, carcinogens,teratogens, sensitizers, and/or mechanical stress.

Where regulations or an individual's working conditions dictate thatindividual must wear more than one article of PPE to perform his/hertasks, it may be advantageous to configure each required article of PPEwith a smart tag. In such exemplary embodiments, procedures performed oneach required article of PPE may be tracked concurrently orindependently. Independent tracking would be useful, for example, whereat least two different articles of PPE undergo different types ofprocedures during their processing cycles.

In one exemplary embodiment one or more scanners may be used to retrieveinformation from smart tags. A scanner typically includes an antenna fortransmitting a trigger signal to a smart tag and receiving a returnsignal from the tag containing information. Reading antennas may beplaced in any one or more of the critical spots of the process,including but not limited to the area where the articles of PPE arehanded over to be maintained and the area where the articles of PPEand/or their components or accessories are handed out to the individual.In other exemplary embodiments, one or more scanners may be hand-held.

In such exemplary embodiments, as the individual comes within the rangeof a scanner, the signal issued by the scanner may be received by aninternal antenna in the smart tags. This signal causes the smart tags togenerate and transmit an electromagnetic pulse containing the codedsmart tag information. The scanner receives the coded information signaland decodes the signal into usable commands and data. For this purpose,the scanner usually includes a microprocessor and software programs. Insome embodiments, the scanner provides an output to the individual inpossession of the article of PPE or to the technician conducting a scan.The output may be in various forms, for example, in the form of orincluding issuing an audible or optical alarm or message, such as awarning or a recommendation.

However, information retrieval systems according to the presentdisclosure are not limited to scanners. In case of some active tags, noscanner is needed to retrieve information. The smart tag itself caninitiate the transmission of data once it finds a suitable or designatedreceiver or portal. Generally, any system that is capable of retrievinginformation from a smart tag may be used.

Smart tags according to the present disclosure may be designed to carrya wide variety of information. In some exemplary embodiments, a passiveread-only tag carries an identification number, such as the tag serialnumber. In other exemplary embodiments, smart tags may carry additionalinformation, such as information related to the article of PPE the smarttag is associated with, information relating to an accessory of the PPEand information relating to the individual in possession of the PPE.Information related to the article of PPE or its accessory may includethe next time it must be calibrated, cleaned, inspected or maintained;PPE historical information, such as the dates and times it wascalibrated, cleaned, inspected or maintained; historical informationrelating to the use and tracking of the article of PPE or its accessory,including who used the article of PPE or its accessory, when it wasused, and who retrieved information from its smart tag and when it wasretrieved. Additional information may in some cases include anindividual or department the PPE is assigned to, and the physicalcondition of the PPE.

Information relating to an individual may include any one or more of thefollowing: the individual's name, individual's job function, a list ofarticles of PPE the individual is required to wear in performance ofthat individual's job function, whether the individual has performedcertain actions, such preventative or remedial actions mentioned above,history of the individual's performance of certain actions or any otheruseful information. In some exemplary embodiments, informationpertaining to a particular type of an individual may be compiled to forman individual profile. Individual profiles may be different for allindividuals or they may be different for individuals performingdifferent tasks or having different job functions.

The smart tag information retrieval system, such as a scanner, may belinked to a remote database having additional PPE, individual or otherinformation. The information retrieval system may communicate with suchdatabase through a wireless or wired connection. The system may utilizea computer or server, which is Internet accessible. For example, ascanner, or a computer it is connected with, may provide the individualusing the PPE, a scan technician or another user with Internet access towebsites containing additional information. In one embodiment, thescanner may be an Internet accessible wireless device, such as a PDA(Personal Data Assistant) device. The scanner may include a display anda keypad for interactive communication with the remote database orInternet. The Internet websites may be maintained, for example, bymanufacturers, suppliers, or vendors of the PPE.

With the exception of the smart tag identification number, any of theabove-referenced information retrieved from the tags may be stored inthe database. Each entry corresponding to an individual event orretrieval of information may be date and/or time stamped and thisdate/time information also may be stored in the database. Regulations,such as regulations applicable to processing particular types ofarticles of PPE, regulations pertaining to the actions recommended orrequired to be performed by individuals and other rules and regulationsalso may be stored in the database.

With the information that is thereby gathered in the database, one canextract various useful sets of data and identify violations. The datamay be used to generate reports and memoranda, which may be provided tothe individual performing the tasks and actions, the individual'ssupervisor, an auditor, an industrial hygienist, etc. These reports mayinclude, without limitation: (1) accessing the dates of first use of allarticles of PPE or their accessories, classified by type; (2)identifying which articles of PPE or their accessories are approaching asignificant date, such as a date that maintenance needs to be performed;(3) identifying which articles of PPE or their accessories did notundergo the specified maintenance procedures; and (4) identifyingindividuals who failed to perform the remedial or preventative actions.These reports are expected to provide health administrators with harddata of the steps that are being taken towards compliance with rules andregulations.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrates schematically one exemplary method accordingto the present disclosure. This exemplary embodiment is a method fortracking procedures performed on an article of PPE, such as an RPE. Inthe exemplary method, a morning shift 100 begins with a firstindividual's arrival for work 101. In a preparatory step 102, prior toperformance of the individual's first task 103, which in this exemplaryembodiment constitutes activities of the morning shift 100, the firstindividual is provided with at least one article of PPE configured witha first smart tag. During the preparatory step 102, the first individualalso may change into a uniform and make any other suitable preparationsfor the first task 103. Optionally, when the article of PPE is providedto an individual, first information may be retrieved, e.g., by scanning,from the first smart tag prior to the performance of the first task 103.

The information retrieved from the first smart tag may include at leastone of: smart tag identification number, PPE information, PPE accessoryinformation and individual information. The first information may bestored in a database and it may include a date and/or time stamp. In oneembodiment, the first smart tag may be scanned to retrieve its serialnumber and at that time the first smart tag, or the article of PPE ifthe smart tag is not removed from the article of PPE, may be associatedwith an individual by entering the individual's name in the database.Alternatively, an individual's ID badge or another type of individual'sID may be read and time and/or date stamped, and that information may bestored in the database along with the smart tag information.

As the first information is retrieved from the first smart tag of thearticle of PPE when it is provided to the first individual, the systemmay evaluate the first information to check whether a particularrequirement or condition is satisfied. For example, the system may checkthe processing or use history of the article of PPE and its accessories,which individual is assigned to this particular article of PPE andwhether the individual associated with the article of PPE has performedcertain actions, such as remedial or preventative actions. In someembodiments, the issuance of PPE can take place only if all therequirements have been satisfied. The system may also log the issuanceof the PPE into an issue history, schedule the issued PPE for after-useprocessing, such as cleaning and maintenance, and update the stock levelof available articles of PPE.

After performing the first task 103, the first individual turns in orotherwise makes available the article of PPE for processing in a firstcycle 116, which in this exemplary embodiment includes cleaning and/ormaintenance of the article of PPE. Depending on how the facilityoperates, after performing the first task, the first individual mayleave the article of PPE in a container in the dressing room 114 a,which may then be brought to the PPE processing room 114 b by anotherindividual. Otherwise, the first individual may deliver the article ofPPE directly into the PPE processing room 114 b. After turning in thearticle of PPE, the individual may remove the dirty uniform 105 and puton a clean uniform 107. In some facilities, the individual is alsorequired to take a certain action in a designated area 106, as mentionedabove, before putting on the clean uniform 107.

After performing the first task 103, and typically prior to the firstindividual's entry into the designated area 106, the first individual'sdata is read 126 a. The first individual data may include any datasufficient to identify the individual, such as biometrics, e.g.,fingerprint scan data, retinal scan data and facial recognition data.The data is typically time and/or date stamped and sent to a databasefor storage. At the exit from the designated area, for example, after orbefore the first individual's exit from the designated area, the firstindividual's data may be read again 126 b. That data can also be dateand/or time stamped and stored in a database. In some cases it is usefulto determine a time interval between the step of reading the individualdata after performance of the first task 126 a and the step of readingthe individual data at the exit from the designated area 126 b. Thistime interval can be compared to a predetermined minimum time interval.If the time interval is shorter than the predetermined minimum, it maybe concluded that the first individual had not taken all the actionshe/she was required to take in the designated area. For example, in alead mine or smelter, the operators may be required to shower for atleast 5 minutes at least twice a day after each shift.

Thereupon, the first individual may commence a lunch break 300, duringwhich he/she may go to a lunch area 301. During a first cycle 116, oneor more procedures can be performed on the article of PPE, which mayinclude cleaning, maintenance, repair, etc. In some exemplaryembodiments, the first tag is not configured to withstand theprocessing, for example where the procedure requires exposing the smarttag to chemicals, mechanical stress and/or high temperatures. In suchembodiments, smart tags may be advantageously permanently or detachablyconfigured with a removable portion of an article of PPE, such as aremovable accessory of the article of PPE. The smart tag itself, or aremovable portion of the article of PPE with the smart tag, is detachedbefore processing and attached to the same or a different article of PPEafter processing. Such exemplary methods are particularly advantageouswhere large quantities of substantially the same type of PPE are cleanedtogether and where the articles of PPE have interchangeable removableportions to which a smart tag may be attached.

In such exemplary embodiments, after processing the article of PPE, thearticle of PPE may be provided with a part or accessory bearing a secondsmart tag, which may be the same or different as the first smart tag. Inother exemplary embodiments, a first smart tag is not removed from thearticle of PPE prior to the first cycle, but instead remains configuredwith the same article of PPE through the performance of any one or moreof the first and second cycles. After the first cycle is completed, theprocessed article of PPE may be delivered to a location easilyaccessible to individuals performing the tasks according to the presentdisclosure, for example, in the individuals' dressing or locker room. Insome exemplary embodiments, where a particular article of PPE isassociated with a particular individual, the processed article of PPEmay be placed in the first individual's locker. Where the firstindividual's uniform is also being washed/cleaned 117, both theprocessed PPE and the clean uniform may be delivered 218 into theindividual's locker.

In some exemplary embodiments, first information may be retrieved fromthe first smart tag 115 after the first individual performs the firsttask 103. Although FIG. 1A shows retrieving first information 115 priorto the first cycle 116, this step may be taken during the first cycle116, after the first cycle 116, or at any two or more of those times.First information retrieved form the first smart tag after the firstindividual performs the first task 103 may also include at least one of:identification number, PPE information, PPE accessory information andindividual information. The information may be stored in a database andit may include a date and/or time stamp. If the information is retrievedfrom the smart tag prior to the first cycle, the smart tag and theassociated article of PPE may be marked in the database as unprocessed(e.g., contaminated, needing repair, needing inspection, etc.). In oneimplementation, prior to accessing the lunch area 301, the firstindividual hands over the respirator to a technician in charge ofprocessing PPE. The technician retrieves first information from thesmart tag using a scanner. The information may be wirelessly transmittedto a computer database.

Referring further to FIG. 1B, after the lunch break 300 ends, anafternoon shift 200 commences. Prior to performance of a secondindividual's second task 203, in a preparatory step 202, the secondindividual is provided with at least one article of PPE configured witha second smart tag. Where the smart tag had not been removed from thearticle of PPE and where an individual is associated with the article ofPPE, the first smart tag is the same as the second smart tag and thefirst individual is the same as the second individual. Similar to themorning shift, when the article of PPE is provided to the secondindividual in a preparatory step 202, second information may beretrieved, e.g., by scanning, from the second smart tag prior to theperformance of the second task 203.

The second information retrieved form the second smart tag may be thesame as or different from the first information retrieved from the firstsmart tag. The second information may include at least one of:identification number, PPE information, PPE accessory information andindividual information. The second information also may be stored in adatabase and it may include a date and/or time stamp. In one embodiment,the second smart tag may be scanned to retrieve its serial number and atthat time the second smart tag, or the article of PPE if the smart tagis not removed from the article of PPE, may be associated with anindividual by entering the individual's name in the database.Alternatively, an individual's ID badge or another type of individual'sID may be read and time stamped and that information may be stored inthe database along with the smart tag information.

As the second information is retrieved from the second smart tag of thearticle of PPE when it is provided to the second individual, the systemmay check whether a particular requirement or condition is satisfied.For example, the system may check the processing or use history of thearticle of PPE and its accessories, which individual is assigned to thisparticular article of PPE and whether the individual associated with thearticle of PPE has performed certain actions, such as remedial orpreventative actions. In some embodiments, the issuance of PPE can takeplace only if all the requirements have been satisfied. The system mayalso log the issuance of the PPE into an issue history, schedule theissued PPE for after-use processing, such as maintenance, and update thestock level of available articles of PPE.

After performing the second task 203, the second individual turns in orotherwise makes available the article of PPE for processing in a secondcycle 216, which in this exemplary embodiment includes cleaning and/ormaintenance of the article of PPE. Depending on how the facilityoperates, after performing the second task, the second individual mayleave the article of PPE in a container in the dressing room 214 a,which may then be brought to the PPE processing room 214 b by anotherindividual. Otherwise, the first individual may deliver the article ofPPE directly into the PPE processing room 214 b. After turning in thearticle of PPE, the individual may remove the dirty uniform 205 and puton street clothes 207, in which he/she will exit the facility. In somefacilities, the individual is also required to take certain action(s) ina designated area 206, as mentioned above, before putting on the cleanuniform 207.

Prior to the second individual's entry into the designated area 206, thesecond individual's data is read 226 a. The first individual's data mayinclude any data sufficient to identify the individual, such asbiometrics, e.g., fingerprint scan data, retinal scan data and facialrecognition data. The data is typically date and/or time stamped andsent to a database for storage. At the individual's exit from thedesignated area, e.g., after or before the second individual's exit fromthe designated area, the second individual's data may be read again 226b. That data can also be date and/or time stamped and stored in adatabase. In some cases it is useful to determine a time intervalbetween the step of reading the second individual data after performanceof the first task 226 a and the step of reading the second individualdata at the exit from the designated area 226 b. This time interval canbe compared to a predetermined minimum time interval. If the timeinterval is shorter than the predetermined minimum, it may be concludedthat the second individual had not taken all the actions he/she wasrequired to take in the designated area. Thereupon, the secondindividual may exit the facility 209.

The second cycle 216 may include the same one or more procedures as thefirst cycle 116, or it may include different procedures. The second tagalso may not be configured to withstand the performance of theprocedure(s) and may be advantageously permanently or detachablyconfigured with a removable portion of an article of PPE, such as aremovable accessory of the article of PPE. The smart tag itself or theremovable portion of the article of PPE with the smart tag is detachedbefore the second cycle 216 and attached to the same or a differentarticle of PPE after the second cycle 216. After the second cycle iscompleted, the processed article of PPE may be delivered to a locationeasily accessible to individuals performing the tasks according to thepresent disclosure, for example, in the individuals' dressing or lockerroom. In some exemplary embodiments, where a particular article of PPEis associated with a particular individual, the processed article of PPEmay be placed in the first individual's locker. Where the firstindividual's uniform is also being washed/cleaned 217, both theprocessed PPE and the clean uniform may be delivered 218 into theindividual's locker at some time prior to the morning shift 100.

In some exemplary embodiments, second information may be retrieved fromthe second smart tag 215 after the second individual performs the secondtask 203. Although FIG. 1B shows retrieving second information 215 priorto the second cycle 216, this step may be taken during the second cycle216, after the second cycle 216, or at any two or more of those times.Second information retrieved from the second smart tag after the secondindividual performs the second task 203 may include at least one of:identification number, PPE information, PPE accessory information andindividual information. The second information may be stored in adatabase and it may include a date and/or time stamp. If the informationis retrieved from the smart tag prior to performance of a procedure in asecond cycle 216, the smart tag and the associated article of PPE may bemarked in the database as unprocessed (e.g., contaminated, needingrepair, needing inspection, etc.). In another implementation, prior toexiting the facility 209, the second individual hands over the PPE to atechnician in charge of the processing PPE. The technician retrievessecond information from the smart tag using a scanner. The informationmay be wirelessly transmitted to a computer database.

The first and second information, each retrieved at any one or more ofthe times mentioned, may be used to track the articles of PPE as theyare being handed out, turned in, and processed. Each of the first orsecond information may be retrieved from the first or second smart tagon one occasion or on multiple occasions. Time stamping the first andsecond information when it is retrieved aids in creating comprehensivehistory of the article of PPE, its' accessories and the individualsusing it. Some advantageous products of exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure include any one or more of the following:

-   -   a) Compiling a daily report of PPE usage, since it was first        issued to an individual. If a particular use of PPE has violated        a rule, regulation or policy, a warning memo could be send to        the individual or the individual's supervisor.    -   b) Compiling a daily report of all articles of PPE that have        been read in the processing area. If an article of PPE is        missing from this report, it is assumed that the individual did        not make it available for processing, and a warning memo could        be addressed to this individual or the individual's supervisor.    -   c) A daily report of an individual's access to the designated        area, such as a shower area. If one individual's data entry is        missing, if there is only a record of entry but no exit or if        the time between an individual's entry time and exit time is        considered to small (e.g., less than 5 minutes), it is assumed        that the individual did not comply with certain standards and a        warning memo could be addressed to the individual or the        individual's supervisor.

FIG. 2 shows another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosureillustrating consequences that may occur if, based on a result of anevaluation of any of the information retrieved from the first or secondsmart tag, it is determined that a condition or requirement is notsatisfied. In an exemplary embodiment, it may be that the result ofevaluation of the first information retrieved from the first smart tagdoes not satisfy a first condition, the second information retrievedfrom the second smart tag does not satisfy the second predeterminedcondition, or both.

In the exemplary method 400, an individual arrives for work 401 and maydon a uniform or protective clothing 402. The individual is thenprovided with at least one article of PPE configured with a first smarttag in a preparatory step 412. Before the article of PPE is handed overto the individual, first information may be retrieved from the smart tag412 a. This information may include at least one of: identificationnumber, PPE information, PPE accessory information and individualinformation. Optionally, at that time any useful additional informationmay be written to the smart tag 412 b, such as the date of issuance ofPPE, processing history, last date of processing, information regardingthe user of PPE and/or the name of the technician who last scanned thesmart tag, information regarding a requirement or prerequisite for usersof this type of PPE, such as any additional article(s) of PPE that mustbe worn.

After first information is retrieved from the smart tag 412 a, it isevaluated 414 against other available information, such as theinformation stored in a database. Examples of other information includeany requirements for that article of PPE, accessory of PPE or theindividual. For example, as the article of PPE is scanned when it isprovided to the first individual, the system may check the history ofthe article of PPE and its accessories, and pertinent informationrelating to the first individual. In some exemplary embodiments, wheretwo or more articles of PPE must be worn during the performance of aparticular task, it may be advantageous to retrieve information from thesmart tags of all of these articles, for example, to ensure that thesearticles are present, are all worn by the correct individual, and thatall articles of PPE are in proper condition.

If the result of evaluation of the first information satisfies apredetermined condition, the individual is permitted to proceed toperform the task 430. In some exemplary embodiments, the result ofevaluation of the first information must satisfy two or morepredetermined conditions, such as a particular requirement pertaining tothe article of PPE or its accessory and a particular requirementpertaining to the first individual. In such exemplary embodiments, theindividual is permitted to proceed to perform the task 430 only if allthe conditions are satisfied.

If at least one parameter of the first information does not satisfy apredetermined condition, the individual may be faced with consequences440, such as not being allowed to perform the task 430, and, optionally,may be required to follow instructions provided audibly or on a display.The type of consequence may depend on the particular condition that hasnot been satisfied. The audible or visual message may indicate that PPEor its accessory is missing, out of calibration or has not been properlyprocessed. Additionally or alternatively, the message may indicate thatthe PPE was issued to the wrong individual or that the individual thatlast wore the PPE did not perform certain actions, such as preventativeor remedial actions. Additionally or alternatively, the individual maybe denied access to performing the task, as explained in more detailbelow.

After performing the task 430, the individual turns in the article ofPPE 415 and second information may be retrieved from its smart tags 415a. Optionally, at that time any useful additional information may bewritten to the smart tag 415 b, such as entering the status of articleof PPE as unprocessed, last date of processing, type of task used for,user history and/or the name of the technician who last scanned thesmart tag.

The article of PPE is then processed 416, as described above, and madeavailable for distribution in the preparatory step 412. After turning inthe article of PPE, the individual may remove the dirty uniform 404. Insome facilities, the individual is also required to take certain actionin a designated area 406. If the individual has completed all the tasksfor the day, the individual puts on street clothes 422 and departs thefacility 428. If the individual's tasks are not completed, theindividual puts on a clean uniform 407 and may then proceed to take abreak 408 prior to resuming the tasks or performing any additionaltasks.

FIG. 3 shows another exemplary embodiment 500 of the present disclosure,which illustrates denying individual access to a task based oninformation retrieved from the smart tag. In the exemplary method 500,the information retrieval system, such as a scanner, may beoperationally interfaced with an automatic gate or door, andparticularly with the gate's lock control mechanism. The gate remainslocked and is only opened if it is determined that the informationretrieved from the smart tag satisfies at least one and preferably allpredetermined conditions. Any configuration of automatic gate or doormay be utilized in this regard. Examples of scanners operationallyinterfaced with gates or doors are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,853,303and U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,707, incorporated by reference herein.

After information is retrieved from the smart tag, it is evaluated 514against the information stored in the database, such as any requirementsfor that article of PPE, accessory of PPE or the individual. If theresult of evaluation of the first information satisfies at least onepredetermined condition, the gate or door is opened or unlocked 532 andthe individual is permitted access to proceed to perform a task 530.Alternatively, the gate or door may be initially open or unlocked and itremains open or unlocked if at least one condition is not satisfied.Preferably, access to the task 430 is permitted to the individual onlyif all predetermined conditions are satisfied.

If the result of evaluation based on the first information does notsatisfy at least one predetermined condition, individual is deniedaccess 540 to the task 530, for example, by not opening or locking thedoor, gate, etc. The access control feature described above may be usedin any exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure at a point whereinformation is retrieved from a smart tag. In addition to oralternatively to access denial, information as to the problemencountered may be transmitted to the individual or to the individual'ssupervisor, for example through a visual or auditory message or througha memo or report. Exemplary information may include a communicationregarding missing or deficient PPE or PPE accessory, inappropriate usageof PPE or a PPE accessory, sensor out of calibration, etc.

In the exemplary embodiments where a particular smart tag is associatedwith a particular individual, the individual's identity may be used forverifying that any individual-specific requirements as to the PPE aresatisfied. For example, the information retrieval system may include orbe in communication with a computer having an electronically storedprofile that is particular for each individual. This profile may includethe necessary equipment pieces that are required to be worn by thatrespective individual. Upon the individual being identified, the profileis called up and the equipment accountability check is conducted againstthe profile. The system may include an electronic library or databasecontaining a plurality of individual specific profiles. This system maybe particularly useful wherein a number of individuals perform differenttasks requiring different pieces of equipment.

Although the methods of the present disclosure have been described withreference to specific exemplary embodiments, those of ordinary skill inthe art will readily appreciate that changes and modifications may bemade thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure. For example, although the exemplary embodiment described inreference to FIGS. 1A and 1B included a morning shift an afternoon shiftand a lunch break, those of ordinary skill in the art will readilyappreciate that any cyclical tasks and procedures are within the scopeof the present disclosure. For example, procedures performed in thefirst and second cycles may be monthly or yearly inspections orinventory checks. Furthermore, those of skill in the art will readilyappreciate that all embodiments of the present disclosure may be used totrack and retrieve information from a plurality of different articles ofPPE, which may be required to be worn by an individual while performinga particular task.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a first plurality ofarticles of personal protective equipment (PPE) associated with a firstuser, wherein each article of the first plurality of articles of PPE hasa respective smart tag that includes an identifier of the respectivearticle; a second plurality of articles of PPE associated with a seconduser, wherein each article of the second plurality of articles of PPEhas a respective smart tag that includes an identifier of the respectivearticle; a scanner configured to read each respective smart tagassociated with one or more of the first and second pluralities ofarticles of PPE; and a computing device communicatively coupled to thescanner, wherein the computing device: receives, from the scanner andbased on the first and second users entering a designated area, firstand second pluralities of identifiers that correspond to the first andsecond pluralities of articles of PPE; queries, based at least in parton an identifier from the first and second pluralities of identifiersthat correspond to the first and second pluralities of articles of PPE,a database that includes a rule, regulation, or policy in associationwith the identifier from the first and second pluralities of identifiersof articles of PPE; determines that the identifier from the first andsecond pluralities of identifiers for the rule, regulation, or policythat was violated within the designated area is further associated withan identifier of the at least one of the first or second users; andgenerates a notification based on the violation of the rule, regulation,or policy has occurred for the designated area by at least one of thefirst or second users.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein thenotification based on the violation of the rule, regulation, or policyis a report.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the report comprises atleast one of access dates for an article of PPE associated with theidentifier from the first and second pluralities of identifiers, amaintenance date for the article of PPE associated with the identifierfrom the first and second pluralities of identifiers, an indication thatmaintenance did not occur for the article of PPE associated with theidentifier from the first and second pluralities of identifiers, or theidentifier of the at least one of the first or second users who furtherfailed to perform a remedial or preventative action for the article ofPPE associated with the identifier from the first and second pluralitiesof identifiers.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the report is a dailyreport for the at least one of the first or second users' access to adesignated area when the violation of the rule, regulation, or policyoccurred.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein to generate the notificationbased on the violation of the rule, regulation, or policy the computingdevice sends a warning to a remote computing device associated with theat least one of the first or second users, or associated with asupervisor of the at least one of the first or second users.
 6. Thesystem of claim 5, wherein the warning is at least one of an audible ofvisual notification.
 7. A method comprising: receiving, by a computingdevice from a scanner and based on first and second users entering adesignated area, first and second pluralities of identifiers thatcorrespond to the first and second pluralities of articles of PPE,wherein the first plurality of articles of PPE are associated with thefirst user, wherein each article of the first plurality of articles ofPPE has a respective smart tag that includes an identifier of therespective article, wherein the second plurality of articles of PPE areassociated with the second user, wherein each article of the secondplurality of articles of PPE has a respective smart tag that includes anidentifier of the respective article, wherein the scanner is configuredto read each respective smart tag associated with one or more of thefirst and second pluralities of articles of PPE; querying, based atleast in part on an identifier from the first and second pluralities ofidentifiers that correspond to the first and second pluralities ofarticles of PPE, a database that includes a rule, regulation, or policyin association with the identifier from the first and second pluralitiesof identifiers of articles of PPE; determining that the identifier fromthe first and second pluralities of identifiers for the rule,regulation, or policy that was violated within a designated area isfurther associated with an identifier of the at least one of the firstor second users; and generating a notification based on the violation ofthe rule, regulation, or policy has occurred for the designated area byat least one of the first or second users.
 8. The method of claim 7,wherein the notification based on the violation of the rule, regulation,or policy is a report.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the reportcomprises at least one of access dates for an article of PPE associatedwith the identifier from the first and second pluralities ofidentifiers, a maintenance date for the article of PPE associated withthe identifier from the first and second pluralities of identifiers, anindication that maintenance did not occur for the article of PPEassociated with the identifier from the first and second pluralities ofidentifiers, or the identifier of the at least one of the first orsecond users who further failed to perform a remedial or preventativeaction for the article of PPE associated with the identifier from thefirst and second pluralities of identifiers.
 10. The method of claim 8,wherein the report is a daily report for the at least one of the firstor second users' access to a designated area when the violation of therule, regulation, or policy occurred.
 11. The method of claim 7, whereingenerating the notification based on the violation of the rule,regulation, or policy comprises sending a warning to a remote computingdevice associated with the at least one of the first or second users, orassociated with a supervisor of the at least one of the first or secondusers.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the warning is at least oneof an audible of visual notification.
 13. A computing device comprising:one or more computer processors; and a memory comprising instructionsthat when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the oneor more computer processors to: receive, from a scanner and based onfirst and second users entering a designated area, first and pluralitiesof identifiers that correspond to the first and second pluralities ofarticles of PPE, wherein the first plurality of articles of PPE areassociated with the first user, wherein each article of the firstplurality of articles of PPE has a respective smart tag that includes anidentifier of the respective article, wherein the second plurality ofarticles of PPE are associated with the second user, wherein eacharticle of the second plurality of articles of PPE has a respectivesmart tag that includes an identifier of the respective article, whereinthe scanner is configured to read each respective smart tag associatedwith one or more of the first and second pluralities of articles of PPE;query, based at least in part on an identifier from the first and secondpluralities of identifiers that correspond to the first and secondpluralities of articles of PPE, a database that includes a rule,regulation, or policy in association with the identifier from the firstand second pluralities of identifiers of articles of PPE; determine thatthe identifier from the first and second pluralities of identifiers forthe rule, regulation, or policy that was violated within a designatedarea is further associated with an identifier of the at least one of thefirst or second users; and generate a notification based on theviolation of the rule, regulation, or policy has occurred for thedesignated area by at least one of the first or second users.
 14. Thecomputing device of claim 13, wherein the notification based on theviolation of the rule, regulation, or policy is a report.
 15. Thecomputing device of claim 13, wherein the report comprises at least oneof access dates for an article of PPE associated with the identifierfrom the first and second pluralities of identifiers, a maintenance datefor the article of PPE associated with the identifier from the first andsecond pluralities of identifiers, an indication that maintenance didnot occur for the article of PPE associated with the identifier from thefirst and second pluralities of identifiers, or the identifier of the atleast one of the first or second users who further failed to perform aremedial or preventative action for the article of PPE associated withthe identifier from the first and second pluralities of identifiers. 16.The computing device of claim 13, wherein the memory comprisesinstructions that when executed by the one or more computer processorscause the one or more computer processors to send a warning to a remotecomputing device associated with the at least one of the first or secondusers, or associated with a supervisor of the at least one of the firstor second users.